Finding new ways to use childhood favorites like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal in easy desserts is always so fun! And super tasty.
This recipe will make you feel nostalgic for those days of scarfing down the cinnamony sweetness of this cereal while reading the back of the cereal box before heading off to middle school. They’re packed with cinnamon sugar flavor, crisp on the outside and just the perfect dessert to make with cereal.
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Desserts with Cereal in Them
If your family is anything like mine, we go through a lot of breakfast cereal. And, we always seem to have multiple half-opened, half-full boxes. Why is that?!
Well, I’ve started using up the leftover cereal to make delicious desserts! Like these Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookies. What better way to combine flavors we love with desserts we love. And are bound to consume. Much more so than the leftover plain cereal for some strange reason….
Maximizing the Cinnamon flavor in these Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookies
In creating these cookies, I was looking for a crisp exterior to mimic the crispness of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. And, of course, I was looking for as much cinnamon sugar flavor as possible to capture the flavors of this breakfast cereal.
So, I added crushed up Cinnamon Toast Crunch to the batter along with lots of ground cinnamon. I also topped these Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies with more cereal. Cuz, well, why not?! There’s no mistaking what they are when you look at them and certainly not when you take a bite!
This recipe calls for chilling the dough at least 12 hours before baking. I tried baking them right away after making the dough and while they were good, the Cinnamon Toast Crunch flavor truly shines once the dough is allowed to come together overnight.
If you are looking for ways to boost the cinnamon flavor even more, see my tips below for infusing the butter with cinnamon.
Tips for Making Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies
- If you’ve been following along on kickassbaker for some time, you’ve probably noticed that I try to avoid chilling cookie dough before baking if there’s not a significant difference in the end product. In this Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookie recipe, I do recommend chilling the dough for at least 12 hours before baking. This allows the flavors of the cinnamon sugar to really blend into the cookie, producing a super flavorful bite. If you don’t have time to wait, go ahead and bake them right away! They’ll still be really good, just maybe not as much cinnamon flavor
- For a bigger boost of cinnamon flavor in these Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookies, try infusing the butter with cinnamon stick before making the dough. Start by melting the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Remove the melted butter from the heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl, adding in two cinnamon sticks. Cover and allow to steep for 15-30 minutes. (The longer you steep, the more cinnamon flavor you’ll extract.) Remove the cinnamon sticks and discard. Place the butter in the fridge until it begins to solidify, stirring every so often, about 25-35 minutes. Alternatively, you can refrigerate longer, or until ready to use. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to baking to allow it to come to room temperature so its malleable. Follow instructions, using the infused butter in step 1
- For the crushed up Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal that you’ll add to the cookie dough, I recommend crushing it as finely as possible. You can do this by placing the cereal in a ziplock bag and pounding it with a mallet or end of a rolling pin. Or you can place the cereal in a food processor. The finer the better. I found that when I left the cereal in larger pieces, the texture of the cereal in the baked cookie was a bit too tough
Like this recipe? Follow me on Pinterest for lots more recipes just like this one! And don’t forget to pin this recipe for later by clicking on one of the images below the recipe. Or, click on any of the images in this post to save to Pinterest.
Looking for more cookie recipes? Give these a try:
- Fruity Pebble Cookies
- Milk Chocolate Toffee Cookies
- Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies
These Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies impart loads of cinnamon sugar flavor and texture to bring this nostalgic cereal treat to life in a fun dessert!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes + chilling time
- Yield: 14 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (190 grams) packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons (7 ml) vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon
- 2 cups (250 grams) Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal, crushed finely plus more cereal for topping cookies
Instructions
- Prepare Cookie Dough: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix with paddle attachment on medium speed until fluffy and light in color, about 3-4 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue mixing on medium speed for another 2 minutes, stopping at least once to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, whisking to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and stir on low until just combined. Stop the mixer and add in the crushed cereal. Stir on low until evenly combined. Do not overmix
- Scoop & Chill Dough: Using a ¼ cup (2 ounce) cookie or ice cream scoop, scoop out the dough and place on the baking sheet. Gently press 3-4 pieces of Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares into the top of each cookie dough ball. Wrap the baking sheet with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C) and line a second baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and divide cookie dough between the two baking sheets, spacing the cookie dough balls at least 3 inches apart (they may not all fit, bake in batches if necessary). Bake for 14-16 minutes until the edges are just golden brown and the cookies are puffy. Allow to cool on trays for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Bake rest of the cookies
Notes
- For even more cinnamon flavor, try infusing the butter with cinnamon stick. Start by melting the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once melted, remove from the heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl, adding in two cinnamon sticks. Cover and allow to steep for 15-30 minutes (the longer you steep, the more cinnamon flavor you’ll extract). Remove the cinnamon sticks and discard. Place the butter in the fridge until it begins to solidify, stirring every so often, about 25-35 minutes. Alternatively, you can refrigerate longer or until ready to use. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to baking to allow it to come to room temperature. Follow instructions, using the infused butter in step 1
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days
- Cookie dough may be frozen. After scooping the cookie dough, do not add cereal to the tops of the cookies. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for at least an hour. Place frozen cookie dough in a freezer-safe ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature at least 30 minutes before baking as instructed
- Recipe adapted from iwillnoteatoysters.com
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Thank you so much for visiting me at kickassbaker! I'm Kim. I'm a working mom and home baker who's constantly in search of a life in balance. Come join me in baking up some sweet treats mixed in with the occasional healthy and savory recipe. Thanks for joining me on my journey called everyday life!
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